Optimist Prime Accomplishes Lifelong Dream at 10

Optimist Prime played his first American football game yesterday. Ever since he was a kid at the young age of 8, he’s dreamed of being a quarterback, and now that dream came true at 10. I wish my dreams had come true at 10 so I could have taken the last two decades off.

He won his starting QB slot through hard work. Either that or because the coaches felt sorry for him when his dad showed up the first day and shouted from the sidelines, “Anything less than starting QB and I’ll send you back to work in the phosphorous mines!”

His mother and I were a bit worried on the first offensive play of the game when his entire team ran out to take the field and he remained on the sidelines. Eventually his coach yelled, “Johnson! Get in there! You’re the QB!” I guess he was just waiting for a personal invitation.

We were all so excited for the first game, it wasn’t until we were sitting in the bleachers that it occurred to his mother for the first time that OP could actually get hurt playing football. The team OP’s team was playing had two age groups and she spent ten minutes staring at the 13-14 year olds while the younger kids were shielded from view on another field. She stared at those 13-14 year olds and was certain OP was about to die. But the real time eventually took the field and she was able to relax and focus on not understanding the game.

I was so happy for OP. I never thought he would have the opportunity to play American football here in China, so I encouraged his goal as a worthy long-term aim. If I knew he was going to reach his dream so early, I would have encouraged him to set a more difficult goal or maybe add a second or third.

Since OP has accomplished his main goal in life, I decided to focus my energies on The Fonz. I asked if he had any life goals and he answered, “My number one lifelong goal is to get Keven to un-hypnotize Harold.” I don’t know the tragic story behind that sentiment and I had no idea he and his friends were dabbling in hypnotism at such a young age. Where was their teacher when all this hypnotism was taking place?

I asked if he had any life goals a bit more personable, and he answered, “To be the most popular kid in school and to get girls to like me.” Admirable goals to be sure.

I asked OP to think hard about a new goal and he finally came up with pitching a perfect game and bowling a 300 in the same game.

Here’s a video of OP handing off the football to his teammate who then runs for a touchdown. OP runs a fake to the right side and if you keep watching you’ll see him skip a couple times as he runs down the field.

*****

Head on over to the caption contest and check out the finalists.